How to make The Big Bang theory genuinely geeky

[Bluestorm83]

I'd deal with it the same way I'd deal with an orphanage where everyone had died to the Ebola Virus; burn it down from a distance, wall off the site, and never build on it again.

My relatives who watch it are always telling me that I'd like it, since the characters in it are SO much like me. Only I'm not a damn fraud, marched out to do tricks in front of the gaping, drooling masses. There was a controversy once, where Americans of Italian descent were up in arms about the stereotypes in The Sopranos (Despite the fact that how in the HELL are you going to have an Italian Mafia Show without dealing with Italian Mafiosi???) Why is there no geek outcry against this show? I mean, sure, we're not an ethnicity or a religion, but we're a culture, aren't we? Don't we have our symbols, our meeting places, and our saints? Don't we have a pseudo-moral code defined by our heroes? Were there a show called "Those Zany Jews" where everyone was a big nosed stereotype who babbled inanely about financial planning and wealth, we'd probably hang the dude responsible for it. But every damn week that big-headed what's his face who looks like you'd bring your kids inside if he was driving through the neighborhood in a van with tinted windows gets up on the screen and makes ignorant comments about things he doesn't understand because writers who look down on us all wrote something for the general populace who don't even know who Hal Jordan is to watch and say go "Ha, nerds are weird and fun to laugh at!"

Well, that was a good ramble. But seriously, I sort of hate this show and everyone who watches it. It's like being put in a zoo.

 

[MCerberus]

BBT is an object of infinite hate for me, because it uses "laugh AT them" humor while pretending to be on the side of the people it's making fun of. All of the jokes pretty much go straight to "look he's a neerrrrrrrrrrddddd".


And on the subject of bringing people into nerd culture, Wall Street made people want to be Gordon Gekko. People will try to imitate anything if they perceive it as popular. It doesn't change the original work though. Big Bang Theory is about as pro-nerd as Wall Street was pro-Reaganomics.


Regular Show is pretty much what you want if you're after a geek-culture sitcom (and don't mind it going completely off the rails every episode, it's part of the charm)

 

[RoonMian]

-snip-

Oh okay, fair enough, I haven't watched it a while, I did find Kate Micucci pretty good, but I don't know if she was there to stay or not, she'd split up with Raj for a while last I watched it.

You certainly can hate something for not being good though. For a personal example: I hate The Transformers movies. They're terrible in every way, bad design, bad cinematography, bad acting etc etc. In itself fine, it's a shit movie, move along. But the general populace love them. This leads to Michael Bay getting more work, and the terrible actors atatched to them getting more work, which lowers the quality of other movies. Then I have to deal with Megan Fox and Shia Lebouf turning up in other movies and ruining them. It also sets the bar lower so rather than make a decent movie with any decent movie making techniques, you can churn out any old rubbish and it wins the box office over decent movies, effecting the chances of more decent movies being made, because it's safer to stick out rubbish.

I understand what you are saying about The Transformers and I agree with you there. Hate is justified there for exactly the same reasons you stated and even some more that I don't need to get into right now.

But I don't feel like the comparison is valid here because unlike Transformers in its area TBBT is just too insignificant to elicit such a strong emotion. Unless of course that strong emotion comes from: "That guy is socially inept. He is the butt of jokes. I am socially inept, too. This makes me angry!" At least that is my take on it.

 

[elvor0]

-snip-

Oh okay, fair enough, I haven't watched it a while, I did find Kate Micucci pretty good, but I don't know if she was there to stay or not, she'd split up with Raj for a while last I watched it.

You certainly can hate something for not being good though. For a personal example: I hate The Transformers movies. They're terrible in every way, bad design, bad cinematography, bad acting etc etc. In itself fine, it's a shit movie, move along. But the general populace love them. This leads to Michael Bay getting more work, and the terrible actors atatched to them getting more work, which lowers the quality of other movies. Then I have to deal with Megan Fox and Shia Lebouf turning up in other movies and ruining them. It also sets the bar lower so rather than make a decent movie with any decent movie making techniques, you can churn out any old rubbish and it wins the box office over decent movies, effecting the chances of more decent movies being made, because it's safer to stick out rubbish.

I understand what you are saying about The Transformers and I agree with you there. Hate is justified there for exactly the same reasons you stated and even some more that I don't need to get into right now.

But I don't feel like the comparison is valid here because unlike Transformers in its area TBBT is just too insignificant to elicit such a strong emotion. Unless of course that strong emotion comes from: "That guy is socially inept. He is the butt of jokes. I am socially inept, too. This makes me angry!" At least that is my take on it.

Eh I suppose that's true, perhaps I'm looking too hard for a slippery slope which isn't necessarily there in this case. Also there's obviously a difference between what you presented as am example (hate filled rants from angry people) and an actual constructive critique of the show, so your intial point holds water, and at this point, should I carry on, I'd be arguing for the sake of it as I'm now arguing about something a bit off to what you actually presented. Oh well, can't win em all

 

[Flunk]

I like Big Bang Theory regardless of the computer and electronic inaccuracies (I also have it on good authority that the science sections are totally inaccurate). Why would I care that they don't talk about really obscure geeky stuff? Some of the geekiest people I know are obsessed with comic books and Star Trek, not 20-year old anime series (like Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin) that very few people have heard of. Just because the references there are ones that most people can enjoy doesn't make them less authentic.

It's kinda elitist to say what is and is not "geek" enough. Does the show say "hey look at these stupid geeks!"? No, it just presents the characters as they are and sets up contrived situations for them to act silly.

Yes, I watch this show and enjoy it. Nothing is perfect, but I find it funny enough. I also enjoy Community (all seasons) but I find 2 1/2 men to be very dull and boring. It was predictable in the first season and they just seem to be trying to repeat the same thing over and over. Maybe I'll get tied of Big Bang Theory at some point, but not yet.

 

[Piorn]

It's not a show for nerds, it's a show about nerds.
When do people finally realize that?
There are references to Star Trek, Video Games and Comics because people think that's what Nerds like. If they made jokes that actually required any specialized knowledge to be funny, they would lose their audience.

 

[Eamar]

But every damn week that big-headed what's his face who looks like you'd bring your kids inside if he was driving through the neighborhood in a van with tinted windows gets up on the screen and makes ignorant comments about things he doesn't understand because writers who look down on us all wrote something for the general populace who don't even know who Hal Jordan is to watch and say go "Ha, nerds are weird and fun to laugh at!"

I know right? Kind of like how every week that Zack Braff dude with the stupid gelled hair who wasn't even a real doctor (the horror!) made ignorant comments about things he didn't understand because he's a freakin' actor spouting lines some writer wrote for the general populace who don't even know what the occipital lobe is to watch and go "Ha, doctors are weird and fun to laugh at!" Where was the uprising of the medical professionals?!

^^Your argument makes about as much sense as that one.

We're not a protected group like a race or a sexual orientation, nor should we be. Where the hell would you draw the line? Would all the jokes I've seen on this very site at the expense of sports fans be out too? Do we ban every tv show that's ever depicted a laughable caricature of goth culture? Or CSI for failing to present an accurate picture of forensic scientists? Could it be that this stuff goes on all the damn time and you're only noticing it now because it's your group that's being depicted in a way you don't recognise?

 

[shootthebandit]

ignorant comments about things he didn't understand because he's a freakin' actor

I agree with this although the actress who played Amy in BBT actually has a phd in neuroscience. Granted most of the stuff on the show is fake to make it more interesting, its pretty cool that they have someone playing a role that they actually understand

We're not a protected group like a race or a sexual orientation, nor should we be

Id say nerds are actually a pretty good group to poke fun at. I consider myself a nerd and I think you mentioned liking "self depreciative" humour. I love that sort of stuff. I think the reason a lot of geeks/nerds find it offensive is because it highlights their flaws and people obviously cant have a laugh at themselves

geeks/nerds have a sort of eccentricity that you dont get with most other groups. We have an interest in the bizarre and we dont always follow social convention which is why we are actually a good group to poke fun at. I think BBT does this well and it doesnt go over the top with it

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

As I'm sure you know, The Big Bang Theory is a comedy TV show that's purportedly about nerds. The problem is that the geeky references in the show are few and far between.
What'd you do to geek the show up?

See, my issue with the show (even though I kinda enjoy it) is that it doesn't do a good job of portraying actual nerds. And not because of their references - because no nerd is into every single nerd thing.

They are, at one point or another, into every single well known science fiction series in existence.

They are into all comics. Not just a few characters, not just DC or Marvel, but everything.

They are into anime and manga.

They are into robot battles.

They are into paint ball.

They are into kite flying. And kite battles.

They are into cosplay.

They are into SCA.

They are into model train sets.

They also play Dungeons and Dragons (albeit rather badly).

They are into model rockets.

They are into toy collecting.

And the list goes on, and on, and on. They are literally into every single aspect of nerd culture. And all four of them are equally into all of these aspects. That just isn't realistic. "Nerd" refers to many subgroups that like various things on that list, but not every single one of them.

The show would be far more realistic if each character had individual interests that sometimes crossed over and sometimes didn't.

There are other issues with the show (like how a bunch of 30 year olds are written like they're still in high school), but that's the main one that bugs me.

Edit: On the "all sci-fi" thing, listed first, that one bugs me in particular because, in real nerd fandom, it is more common to find Star Wars fans who hate Star Trek, Star Trek fans how hate Star Wars, or - even more common - Original Series Trek fans who hate Next Gen and beyond, Next Gen fans who hate the original series (and may or may not like the later versions), and tons of Star Trek fans who hate the movies.

This never comes up in Big Bang Theory. Ever. The closest thing is that "Sheldon doesn't like Babylon 5" for no apparent reason. Every other sci-fi show ever, yes. But not B5. I guess it's supposed to be a nod to random fandom hate, but since the other 3 all like B5, it doesn't really work (and just returns to the whole problem of them all liking the exact same stuff).

Anyway...

 

[Kingjackl]

I think it's weird that there are nerds who are offended by the Big Bang Theory. It's not like it's particularly unflattering; those guys all have good jobs, are all in mostly stable relationships with attractive women, and they all have advanced science degrees. Given all the recent attention we've started to see of the truly awful aspects of nerd culture, like misogyny, entitlement, arrogance, exclusion, hipsters and faux-cynicism, the Big Bang Theory's 80s movie stereotype depiction of nerd culture is practically quaint. None of the wear fedoras, if you see what I mean. They all studied physics, biology and engineering, not journalism, liberal arts and game design. If anything, those guys are something more geeks should aspire to.

The fact that the reference gags aren't based on proper obscure geek references isn't a problem. That's just evoking 'no-true Scotsman'. The actual problem with those bits is that they're lazy and stupid. You're writing a sitcom, not posting comments on a Facebook fan-page, writers. Pack it in.

 

[DANEgerous]

No, references to Star Trek don't count, because they're the one genuinely nerdy thing that non-nerds are sure to have heard about. Star Trek is more famous than To Kill A Mockingbird, for cryin' out loud, and nobody'd call that "obscure."

You want obscure, not nerdy. And at that point, I'm not sure what's left to discuss. So what if it's well-known? Obscurity doesn't equal authenticity, and there's a reason Star Trek is so well known. This doesn't seem at all like it's about being more geeky or authentic, but rather about being "hipster."

This is one of those things in nerd culture is kind of overlooked. It is less about being obscure and more along the lines of just being not commonplace every one knows Mario not everyone knows Gordon Freeman of yet 95% or more that have a interest in games do. This is the kind of popularity you want to make jokes about, not s cult hit not something on the fringes but an idea that the target gets and the mainstream doesn't.

 

[Vigormortis]

How to make The Big Bang Theory a better show in four easy steps -

Step 1: Fire the writers and hire people that actually get good humor. (not even necessarily "nerd" humor)

Step 2: Fire most of the cast and bring in actors that have range, charisma, and the ability to realistically portray the cliches they represent.

Step 3: Get rid of Chuck Lorre. That fucker's idea of "witty humor" is to insert a fart or dick joke into any scene; especially if the scene has children in it. (I'm looking at you, Two and a Half Men)

Step 4: Delve into actual nerd culture to create an amalgam of pop-culture and geek humor; combining the best of both worlds.

Do these and you'll have a show just about anyone can enjoy.

Or, you know, just ignore TBBT and it's trite and just go watch The IT Crowd or Community. And on the animation side of things, go watch Adventure Time, Rick and Morty, Venture Brothers, or Regular Show. You'll save yourself a few headaches.

 

[Strelok]

~SNIP~

Listen to the canned laugh track, the audience is intended to identify more with Penny and the "non-nerds" than anyone else, they are the subject of the jokes, not part of the laughs. Personally I find the show an insult. One of the main reasons being, why does every character need to be such a brutal, slap in face stereotype? The show is intended to mock those that better society, I mean come on, they mock Shelden every chance they get, a brilliant scientist who shows clear signs of Asperger Syndrome or some other type of Autism. Watch a better show, like Community listed above, the nerds and geeks are accepted and welcomed members of their groups, and in my experience anymore much more reflective of real life, at least in that regard, certainly not in the situations encountered.

As a side note, what the Hell is Homestuck?

 

[DalekJaas]

The geeky-ness it has is perfect for the audience who watches it. The average person knows enough about Star Trek or Star Wars to understand the jokes for them to be able to feel included in the jokes. If the show was just references to weird anime and Japanese things it wouldn't be funny or popular.

I like that the characters are main stream nerds, not weird anime nerds or god-forbid people like Bronys. Normal people don't want to watch that nonsense. I enjoy the show for what it is, I thought the first 3 seasons were absolutely hilarious and now it is just something I watch to pass the time.

Most geeks hate Big Bang Theory because it's laughing at them not with them. You'll see here and on reddit that everyone hates it (people who spend too much time online), and yet it is the most popular show on US TV by a huge margin.

 

[Piorn]

It's not a show for nerds, it's a show about nerds.
When do people finally realize that?
There are references to Star Trek, Video Games and Comics because people think that's what Nerds like. If they made jokes that actually required any specialized knowledge to be funny, they would lose their audience.

If they made jokes, they would probably lose their audience. Not being for nerds doesn't justify it's existence. It's just shit.

The thing is, they do have an audience, and that justifies it's existence. It's completely independant of the actual quality. That's how a free market works.

 

[Phasmal]

Don't make it more geeky.

The whole funny thing about BBT is the people who complain that it's `nerdface` (seriously some people think this is a thing) and offensive to nerds. That's funnier than the show is.

I dunno. I agree with what other people have said, if they made more obscure references then people would probably lose interest due to not knowing what they're on about. It's a sitcom, of course they're gonna use broad strokes and vaguely nerdy references that everyone will get.

 

[Thyunda]

As a side note, what the Hell is Homestuck?

The Ulysses of the internet. It's hard to read, the plot is convoluted as fuck but it's weirdly satisfying to get through and honestly it's got some really good moments. Till most of the cast die, at any rate.

 

[Queen Michael]

As I'm sure you know, The Big Bang Theory is a comedy TV show that's purportedly about nerds. The problem is that the geeky references in the show are few and far between.

So what'd you do if you were hired by WB to make sure that Raj, Sheldon, Leonard and Howard were genuinely geeky? What'd you do to geek the show up?

As many have said before, it wouldn't be more geeky. The problem is that the show has no actual jokes, just nerd culture related statements, come to think of it, I don't think it even qualifies as comedy because of that. Yes, there are a few episodes with actual jokes in them (one or two at most), but that doesn't make it a comedy. And then there was that phase with Sheldon saying "bazinga".

Every. Fuckng. Episode.

I'm offended by that episode. I watch the Big Bang Theory, and I don't have such a hairy bellybutton area.

[small]Actually yes I do[/small]

 

[Aramis Night]

When I saw this in the little box on the front page I thought it said genuinely good. I have plenty of ideas for that. Like scrapping the entire show and doing it over from the top with a decent writing team who actually understand who and what they're supposed to be writing about. And shoot the "live audience". Because this "live audience" laughs at things that just simply aren't funny.

Just to confirm. There is no "Live" audience most of the time they are filming. The only time there is a live audience is when they have a studio tour group sit in on a scene which isn't that often. Even when they tour group is an audience, they still play the laugh track. They don't even have the decency to just put it in, in post-production. And its really jarring when filming the scene and they play it on set after every other sentence regardless how not funny the lines are.